Lion Ark

An evacuee in “Lion Ark,” a documentary from Tim Phillips.Credit
Adi Films

“Lion Ark,” a spunky account of a perilous rescue mission, has a ragtag rhythm that befits the mercurial behavior of its hulking hairy stars. Following a group from Animal Defenders International as it conducts the 2010 roundup and relocation of 25 captive lions illegally held in traveling circuses in Bolivia, this warmhearted documentary from Tim Phillips makes “Born Free” look like a beast story for babes.

The worm-ridden beasts themselves — skittish, malnourished and suffering from bone disease and mental distress — are not the only dangers faced by Mr. Phillips and his wife, Jan Creamer (co-founders of Animal Defenders), and their small team. Furious circus owners, defying a 2009 law that would destroy their livelihood, stand ready to slash tires and worse. Daunting logistics, like hauling rickety cages filled with hundreds of pounds of snarling animals over crumbling roads at night, add to the film’s drama and the team’s headaches. Five thousand miles away in Colorado, a sanctuary is being constructed for the lions; all Mr. Phillips has to do is get them there.

Making scant use of conventional talking heads, “Lion Ark” is also largely free of the gooey sentiment common to nature films. In its place is grainy undercover footage of circus animals being violently beaten and even bitten by remorseless trainers. Wisely refusing to linger on the shocking, Mr. Phillips seasons his film with the unexpected — like a surreal encounter with a stranger dressed as Zorro, and wild bursts of punk music that swell up out of nowhere.

Although sorely in need of a more aggressive editor (repetitive scenes of cage building can safely be snoozed through), “Lion Ark” proceeds with refreshing unpredictability and an unpolished vigor. Joy Adamson would surely approve.